LIVE: SpaceX Falcon 9 (Flight 2) - COTS-1 - Launch Updates - December 8, 2010

[Lobo]

Definitely was a historic day lets hope the other CCDev/COTS vehicle test flights go this well.

We haven't yet found out what Elon's "secret" cargo on Dragon was.  Maybe it was Elon himself... 

LOL!

Ham the IX the Space Chimp.

I suspect a fully instrumented flight test dummy in a spacesuit.

That'd be my guess.  If something went wrong, you just don't tell anyone.  if everything goes well, then you come out and say, "By the way, we had a full flight test dummy inn the capsule, and after analyzing the data from all the sensors, it was determined that the entire flight would have been within NASA parameters for human launch, reentry, and spashdown.  This shows the Falcon 9 and Dragon is perfectly capable of manned space flight."
Which will get even more press than the ton of press this launch is already getting.

[Hungry4info3]

Adding my congratulations. Well done, SpaceX.

[simonbp]

Could this secret payload be some kind of living creature (a mouse?), just to prove the capsule is genuinely able to sustain life?

That would be another "first".

Dragonflies ?

Hirundinidae

african or european?

[Sen]

This is a really great day. Have a six year old here, and we watched the liftoff before he was off to school. For me, the possibility that, when hes nine or ten, and really into his rockets and dino's phase, the idea of going into space, and dreaming of new worlds, might be something that doesnt end with "but thats not reality" makes me tear up a bit. Not the belief that it will happen, but the possibility. Mars, moon, the things that made me look up at the sky and dream as a child. So thank you spacex, Mr Musk, and everyone involved in spaceflight in any and all capacities. Its nice to dream what if, and not just worry about the mortgage and the economy, if only for a day. And it validates all geek's everywheres refusal to completely stop being that child dreaming of rockets

[Periander]

We haven't yet found out what Elon's "secret" cargo on Dragon was.  Maybe it was Elon himself... 

I'm still betting it's a life-size Iron Man.

I bet you're on the right track. An Iron Man action figure at the very least.

[R.Simko]

I don't think they would have anything alive on board.  Maybe a lifesize  Obama and Elon figures.

[Kabloona]

I suspect a fully instrumented flight test dummy in a spacesuit.

The key word that Elon used was "humorous." Maybe a dummy twin of Elon himself?

[Hootz]

This is a really great day. Have a six year old here, and we watched the liftoff before he was off to school. For me, the possibility that, when hes nine or ten, and really into his rockets and dino's phase, the idea of going into space, and dreaming of new worlds, might be something that doesnt end with "but thats not reality" makes me tear up a bit. Not the belief that it will happen, but the possibility. Mars, moon, the things that made me look up at the sky and dream as a child. So thank you spacex, Mr Musk, and everyone involved in spaceflight in any and all capacities. Its nice to dream what if, and not just worry about the mortgage and the economy, if only for a day. And it validates all geek's everywheres refusal to completely stop being that child dreaming of rockets

Ahmen to that brother!!

[aquanaut99]

I can't believe I missed this! (long series of words that cannot be reprinted here...)

In any case, congrats SpaceX! Way to go!

All in all, 2010 is not such a bad year for spaceflight.

[Patchouli]

Definitely was a historic day lets hope the other CCDev/COTS vehicle test flights go this well.

We haven't yet found out what Elon's "secret" cargo on Dragon was.  Maybe it was Elon himself... 

LOL!

Ham the IX the Space Chimp.

I suspect a fully instrumented flight test dummy in a spacesuit.

That'd be my guess.  If something went wrong, you just don't tell anyone.  if everything goes well, then you come out and say, "By the way, we had a full flight test dummy inn the capsule, and after analyzing the data from all the sensors, it was determined that the entire flight would have been within NASA parameters for human launch, reentry, and spashdown.  This shows the Falcon 9 and Dragon is perfectly capable of manned space flight."
Which will get even more press than the ton of press this launch is already getting.

I also suspect maybe some live cargo something that would not anger too many people if they didn't survive such as mice and or insects.

[Chris Bergin]

SPACEX’S DRAGON SPACECRAFT RE-ENTERS SUCCESFULLY

Lands on Target in the Pacific Ocean, 500 miles Off of the Coast of Southern California

SpaceX/NASA to Hold Post-Mission Press Conference at 3:30 PM EST

 

Cape Canaveral, FL – Today, SpaceX became the first commercial company in history to re-enter a spacecraft from low-Earth orbit.

 

SpaceX and NASA will have a post-mission press conference at 3:30 PM EST at the press site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 

 

Participants include:

·         Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO and CTO

·         Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX President

·         Alan Lindenmoyer, NASA Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Manager

 

Watch it live at www.nasa.gov/ntv

 

SpaceX launched its Dragon spacecraft into low-Earth orbit atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 10:43 AM EST from the Air Force Station at Cape Canaveral. 

 

The Dragon spacecraft orbited the Earth at speeds greater than 17,000 miles per hour, reentered the Earth’s atmosphere, and landed in the Pacific Ocean shortly after 2:00 PM EST. 

 

This marks the first time a commercial company has successfully recovered a spacecraft reentering from low-Earth orbit.  It is a feat performed by only six nations or government agencies: the United States, Russia, China, Japan, India, and the European Space Agency.

 

It is also the first flight under NASA’s COTS program to develop commercial supply services to the International Space Station.  After the Space Shuttle retires, SpaceX will fly at least 12 missions to carry cargo to and from the International Space Station as part of the Commercial Resupply Services contract for NASA.  The Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft were designed to one day carry astronauts; both the COTS and CRS missions will yield valuable flight experience toward this goal. 

[Lee Jay]

Cape Canaveral, FL – Today, SpaceX became the first commercial company in history to re-enter a spacecraft from low-Earth orbit.

Actually, that isn't true.

This marks the first time a commercial company has successfully recovered a spacecraft reentering from low-Earth orbit.

Now, that's true!  Companies have re-entered spacecraft before, just not without a resulting disintegration.   

[Martin FL]

Wow, 100,000 visits on a thread started only 8-9 hours ago

[hernick]

Wow, 100,000 visits on a thread started only 8-9 hours ago

Yes, but how many of those visits are people frantically clicking "refresh"?

[kevin-rf]

Wow, 100,000 visits on a thread started only 8-9 hours ago

Yes, but how many of those visits are people frantically clicking "refresh"?

What, only 99,999 are mine ....

[Dave G]

Anything on first stage recovery?

[Jeff Bingham]

Lets get this thing manned one day!

Orbiter

We haven't yet found out what Elon's "secret" cargo on Dragon was.  Maybe it was Elon himself... 

I'm still betting it's a life-size Iron Man.

I know they have one..I saw it on display in their LA facility last month.

[Bubbinski]

Congratulations on the successful flight of Dragon!

I have been a longtime fan of the Shuttle.  A year ago at this time shuttle retirement was looming without a clear U.S. successor vehicle in place to send crew and cargo to ISS.  It's still true that a lot of work needs to be done (more successful tests, etc.) but I'm feeling cautiously optimistic about the future of ISS and U.S. human spaceflight.

Now let's have a successful launch and flight of the next Dragon.  I think it's scheduled for this spring, am I right?  (Spaceflight Now launch schedule said April).

And as an aside I'd like to build a 1/72 Dragon/Falcon 9 to join my 1/72 Atlantis shuttle stack I just finished.

[D_Dom]

Wow, 100,000 visits on a thread started only 8-9 hours ago

Yes, but how many of those visits are people frantically clicking "refresh"?

What, only 99,999 are mine ....

Many are mine, trying to keep up and still get some work done is a multi-tasking challenge of the finest kind!
Excellent work moderators, thanks for your skill and dedication.

[xlr82v2]

The "special cargo " was the Geico Gecko...
:-)